At a Critical Moment, West Virginia Rural Health Conference Finds Itself at the Center of National Debate

There could be no more critical time for the public health community in Appalachia to come together.

Political battles in Washington, D.C. threaten healthcare for thousands of low and middle income people.

The flood of opioid deaths in West Virginia has the Centres for Disease Control and other agencies reevaluating how doctors and hospitals treat pain and prescribe drugs.

In some parts of rural West Virginia, life expectancy is on par with the third world.

And all the while, rapid transitions in technology, social norms and medical practices are changing the everyday realities for our medical professionals and students trying to battle massive public health challenges.

The annual West Virginia Rural Health Conference faces these challenges head on, and brings together health experts from across the region to explore the pertinent issues of our time.